1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to a safety cushioning device and, more particularly, to an airbag device incorporating one or more inflatable tubes for absorbing the impact of a person or object at the end of a fall or jump from an elevated height.
2. Related Art
Safety devices for absorbing the impact of people free falling or jumping from elevated heights are regularly employed in extreme sports, amusement, and circus environments. For example, in circus environments a person may be shot from a cannon into a high arc, ending with a free fall into a net. Similarly, acrobats swinging high overhead on a trapeze may end a performance with a somersault or free fall into a net below.
In other examples, a movie stuntman may jump or fall from the top of a structure or high building onto a large airbag below. In extreme sports, very difficult and dangerous maneuvers and acrobatics, particularly aerial maneuvers and acrobatics, are attempted and the performer, upon returning to earth, may be cushioned by an airbag.
One of the problems with large air-filled bags sometimes used by stuntmen or extreme sports performers is that it takes a considerable amount of time for these bags to re-inflate or re-coil after a use. In applications, such as amusement or fun park environments, where aerobatic stunts are performed continuously in short intervals, the time it takes to re-coil the airbag is critical.
Also, the over-pressurization of certain existing airbags presents a possible safety hazard. In particular, the pressurization of certain airbags creates a bounce-back or re-bound factor that makes it potentially dangerous for anyone falling outside of a central area, or “sweet spot,” of the airbag. In the same way, the use of safety nets are mostly limited to trained professionals because of the potential to ensnare or otherwise injure limbs if one falls into the net the wrong way.
An additional potential safety hazard present in existing safety airbags is the use a single top sheet for the landing surface. In the event that the top sheet is ripped or otherwise damaged during use, the airbag could possibly rupture, or the person using the device could possibly be injured by falling through the top sheet in the airbag interior.
Inflatable airbag safety devices currently exist that incorporate one or more collapsible pop-up tubes (sometimes called “crumple tubes”) to cushion the free fall of an individual. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,357,728 discloses one such device. Such devices sometimes use a top sheet to serve as the landing surface. The top sheet is, in turn, fastened on its underside to the top of each collapsible tube. In the event that the top sheet is damaged or otherwise compromised during use, the top sheet can only be disassembled and exchanged by deflating the entire airbag and detaching each collapsible crumple tube from the underside of the top sheet, which is a very inefficient and time-consuming process.
Accordingly, a need therefore exists for a durable, safe and air-efficient device for absorbing the impact of persons or objects free-falling from elevated heights for amusement, recreation, entertainment, commercial, safety and fire/rescue purposes. A need also exists for an airbag safety device having a landing surface that may be quickly assembled and disassembled for repair and/or re-use.